I put their gazes behind me and entered the tent. It was spacious inside, but Mayers presence alone made it feel full. As Nova had said, a meal for two was readied on his table. I sat down in front of the captain, grumbling, You promised not to be like this.

Like what? Mayer asked quizzically. I couldnt tell whether he was playing dumb or if he was serious. I was about to give the man a piece of my mind but thought better. It wasnt like the situation would change even if I revealed that I had no intention of eating with him. So I just bullied the beanstalks on my plate with a fork. But Mayer did realize what I meant a few seconds later. In a confused and aggrieved voice, he asked, Must we avoid eating together as well? This is not skinship, is it?

Well get misunderstood.

The captain and vice-captain are supposed to eat separately from the others, to begin with. When we go to the performance report meeting, we will be using a separate table too. It is not an unusual matter, Mayer explained desperately as if he were making an excuse. No, it wasnt an unusual thing, but yes, it was unusual when it came to him Why did he have to keep his distance so much from other people normally?

A memory shimmered over the surface of my soup. Mayer and the kids acting like all of this was only natural, then the astonished responses of the squads Yellow Lightning and Velvet. Unable to figure out whether this situation was really strange or just me overreacting, I spooned the soup into my mouth with a sigh.

Mayer looked nervous as he asked cautiously, If you wish so, then shall we eat separately starting tomorrow?

I couldnt bring myself to say yes to that, not with the man looking like a big dog with drooping ears. And to be honest, I did feel uncomfortable with him eating alone, stuck in his tent like an outcast. Its fine since things are like this anyway.

Mayer rejoiced as soon as I gave the okay. I didnt know why he suggested we eat separately if he was going to be that happy. Nevertheless, I didnt feel bad about it. I lowered my head to my meal tray with a chortle.

* * *

We arrived in the capital on time. It was truly fortunate as I no longer wanted to spend any more time on horseback. The walls of the capital in the distance looked as if they were carved to resemble a crown. Sevi and Nova exclaimed quietly in admiration at seeing the magnificent sight for the first time. That was exactly how I was like when I first came here.

The closer we got, the more it felt like the impregnable-looking walls were pressing down on us. The clip-clop of our horses hooves against the well-maintained road was pleasant to hear. Security was strict during the performance report meeting. All the expedition corps of the empire would be gathering, and there was much riffraff among them. Although that vigilance wasnt directed toward the Dark Knights.

Spotting our flag in the distance, the guards raised their spears and saluted Mayer. Sir Grand Duke Knox, welcome to the capital!

Keep up the good work, Mayer said, waving a hand in a natural manner.

Admiration showed in the eyes of the guards as they welcomed us. The others also seemed used to this sort of treatment as they passed by the lined-up guards without a blink. The three kids of the special unit, on the other hand, were frozen stiff. They had realized that there were a lot more eyes on them than they had expected.